The two local companies hardly seem like they would cross paths, but in 1994 Microsoft offered to purchase Sub Pop for four million dollars.

The offer was revealed in an interview with Dana Giacchetto, who was behind the $20 million deal between Warner Music Group and Sub Pop records in 1994 — a move that arguably kept the record label afloat.

“Microsoft bid a paltry $4 million, frankly insulting. Bill Gates, who at the time considered himself to be ‘the future of entertainment,’ couldn’t have been a more dull character. It definitely would have made Microsoft a bit more hip, which in hindsight might have actually made Microsoft a player in entertainment. They’re still not.”

Had Microsoft purchased the company, the face of Seattle music (and the Microsoft brand) may have been different today. Microsoft certainly would have garnered some attention and credibility on the music scene, but we think the added oversight of a major corporation would have affected the types of artists signed to the label.